2/27/2015 3:14 PM

Millikin University will be hosting a number of events during March to celebrate Women's History Month. The theme for this year is "In Her Shoes: Stories of Women in our Community."

Women's History Month traces its beginning to the first International Women's Day in 1911. Congress passed a resolution recognizing Women's History Week in 1981, which was extended to an entire month in 1987 to recognize the diverse and historic accomplishments of women that have shaped events throughout history.

Millikin faculty and staff will share stories of their favorite pair of shoes and how the shoes have been important to them over time. Audience members will be given a shoe to "redecorate" and have displayed throughout the month in display cases in Lower Richards Treat University Center. Shoes will then be auctioned off at the end of the month to raise proceeds for Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center.

Watch this dynamic and funny performance by Millikin students, faculty and staff. The event will raise awareness of "women issues," domestic violence, relationships and accounts of coming of age. The event will include a silent auction with all proceeds going to support Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center.

For more information on Millikin's celebration of Women's History Month, contact Millikin University's Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement at 217.424.6335 or by e-mail at ise@millikin.edu.

2/18/2015 1:33 PM

The Millikin University Institute for Science Entrepreneurship, a signature program of Millikin's Center for Entrepreneurship, will continue its 2014-2015 Speaker Series on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 with keynote speaker Mark D. Schweitzer, managing director of intermodal and international freight at Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM).

The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the East Room of Lower Richards Treat University Center on Millikin's campus; the event is free and open to the public.

Mark D. Schweitzer was appointed managing director of intermodal and international container freight in 2008. Prior to this position, Schweitzer advanced through various ADM management responsibilities within grain merchandising, North America oilseed processing, North American warehousing, oilseed and energy risk management. With more than 20 years of risk management and customer relations experience, Schweitzer's areas of adeptness include transportation logistics, inventory management, and vendor negotiations that allow him to be instrumental in helping guide and create cost-effective solutions for the transformation of businesses supply chains.

Schweitzer earned his bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and executive management development from Harvard.

Schweitzer will discuss how all trade of wealth and productive labor involves transportation, whether it is the movement of goods or the movement of people to and from their homes, jobs, and places where they shop. Today, complex trade is impossible without modern, mechanized transportation, and such transportation is provided by the Midwest Inland Port. In addition, Bruce Stoddard will comment on Parke Inc.'s decision to expand and the influence the Midwest Inland Port had on this decision.

The speaker series focuses on science entrepreneurship and how an increased emphasis on entrepreneurship can spark job creation and societal well-being. Throughout the academic year, executives from science ventures will be discussing particular aspects of their business. In addition, business leaders will be discussing broader topics of interest.

The Institute for Science Entrepreneurship was originally funded by a Millikin University Performance Learning Enhancement Grant in December 2012. Since that time, the institute has received funding from the Andreas Foundation, Coleman Foundation, 300 Below Inc., a private foundation and anonymous donors to develop the 2014-2015 Speaker Series and other institute programming.

Formed by Dr. David Horn, Dr. George Bennett, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Casey Watson, associate professor of physics and astronomy, the Institute for Science Entrepreneurship connects external clients with faculty and students of Millikin to provide high quality services to science companies and private practices.

In addition to the speaker series, the Institute for Science Entrepreneurship has recently garnered several accomplishments including external funding from Caterpillar Decatur to support a new course entitled "Introduction to Science Entrepreneurship," external funding and a collaboration between 300 Below Inc. and Millikin University, and a collaboration with the Community Foundation of Macon County to host a convening on poverty.

The Institute for Science Entrepreneurship also offers Performance Learning opportunities for students through its new Science Entrepreneurship Research Fellow Program. The program matches student interest with needs of private practices and companies in the health and natural sciences.

2/17/2015 1:50 PM

Millikin University students have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a professional environment working as an intern with the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce.

Millikin alumni Chris Olsen '74, and his wife, Deborah Olsen '74, along with Beth Bolz Vincent and Jane Olsen Black have created the Henry H. Bolz Endowed Internship program. The endowment honors the memory of their grandfather, the late Henry H. Bolz, who, for more than 30 years, was the executive director of the Decatur Association of Commerce and Industry and its subsequent iteration, the Metro Decatur Chamber of Commerce. The endowed internship program is a first for Millikin University and the Tabor School of Business.

Chris Olsen is currently vice president of community and government affairs for Tate & Lyle in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Olsen is responsible for federal, state, and local government relations as well as community and media relations for all Tate & Lyle facilities in the United States.

"This internship supports two parts of Decatur that have been very important to the Bolz and Olsen families for a long time: Millikin University and the Chamber of Commerce," said Olsen. "Both of these organizations have made great contributions to Decatur's success, and we hope this internship provides the opportunity for students to support their own development as well as making a contribution to the future success of the community."

During the internship, students will obtain hands-on, meaningful work experience designed to meet academic and career goals. The internship offers Millikin Tabor School of Business, communication or political science students responsibilities such as research, writing, survey, database management, web page maintenance, communications and event preparation. Students will be able to network with colleagues and senior-level executives while participating in educational and professional activities designed to enhance the internship experience.

"The Bolz Endowed Internship will enable Millikin students to learn and practice first-hand advocacy for growth and development in Decatur and Macon County," said Millikin University President Dr. Patrick E. White. "We are grateful for this inspiring gift that empowers Millikin students to engage in service of our community while practicing Performance Learning, one more sign of Millikin's role as Decatur's university."

The Henry H. Bolz Internship will be held during the spring semester of the academic year, starting in January and ending in May. To qualify for the internship, students must be a junior or senior and have a minimum 3.5 overall grade point average. The first recipient of the Henry H. Bolz Internship is Molly Yablon, a junior business management major from Skokie, Ill.

The Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce was chartered on July 3, 1903, and is recognized as the second oldest Chamber of Commerce in the state of Illinois. The Chamber's mission is to be a pro-business network providing service, political advocacy and leadership to strengthen education, community image and local businesses.

Tabor School of Business

With the Millikin student in mind, the Tabor School of Business has reviewed, rethought and redesigned its business offerings. All students can now customize their educational experience by taking advantage of academic certificates or by enrolling in the new Fast-Track MBA program, which can be completed in 12 months. To learn more about the changes taking place at the Tabor School of business, visit millikin.edu/tabor.

"We at the Tabor School of Business are excited and grateful that the Henry H. Bolz Internship supports the newly designed Tabor undergraduate program," said Dr. Susan Kruml, dean of the Tabor School of Business. "The new program is focused directly on skills, competencies and attitudes new graduates need to compete and succeed. Performing for and with third-party stakeholders is a hallmark of the program."

For further information about the Henry H. Bolz Endowed Internship, please contact Marianne Taylor, internship & MBA program coordinator at the Tabor School of Business, at 217.424.3503 or by email at mgtaylor@millikin.edu.